Washington Republicans Try To Fire Supreme Court Judges By Making Them Draw Straws

By Aviva Shen on Mar 7, 2013 at 6:00 pm

Angry over a recent Washington Supreme Court decision finding the state must put more funds into basic education, GOP state lawmakers are proposing the additional money come from downsizing the state Supreme Court to 5 justices from 9. Senate Bill 5867, sponsored by failed US Senate candidate state Sen. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), would make the justices draw straws to decide who had to hang up their robes:

“On June 30, 2013, all existing judges of the state supreme court, shall meet in public to cast lots by drawing straws,” the bill says.“Effective July 1,2013, the positions of the four judges casting losing lots by drawing the shortest straws shall be terminated.”

The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, said the job cuts could save about $1.5 million in salary and administrative costs.

“Every dollar we save by eliminating these four positions would be automatically funneled to K-12 education to help meet the guidelines the Supreme Court laid out in the McCleary decision,” Baumgartner said in a news release.

In the education case, McCleary v. State of Washington, 7 justices decided the state was failing to uphold a constitutional obligation to fully fund basic education. The decision stated that education was the “paramount” obligation, and funding cannot be cut purely to mitigate the state’s budget shortfall. To this end, the court now requires annual reports of progress by the Legislature. Eliminating 4 seats, as Baumgartner proposed, would almost definitely take out at least some of the offending justices.

The bill was introduced just a week after the court dealt conservatives another blow; a 6-3 decision invalidated a requirement that two-thirds of the Legislature must agree to any tax increase.

waco1909 wrote:

<quoted text> No matter which party does it, using IRS as political weapon CAN'T BE ALLOWED!!!

The day that either party gains the upper hand will be a sad day for the USA. Right now nationally , we have the extreme right wing nut tea party neocons pretty much balanced by the extreme left wing nut la de da liberals. North Carolina is an example of giving either party total control and sending the entire government down an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole.

waco1909 wrote:

After two terms, the dems seen to think that they have things all sewed up.Recent events are proving otherwise.Expect the dems to pay a heavy price in the 2014 midterms, if the republicans regain control of both houses, Obamacare may well be dead in the water, and the liberal renaissance could be aborted as well.

The Department of Homeland Security is under investigation for purchasing large stockpiles of ammunition, days before legislation was introduced that would restrict the amount a government agency can legally buy.

The Government Accountability Office is now conducting the investigation into the alleged DHS purchases, which is “just getting underway,” GAO spokesman Chuck Young told US News & World Report.

DHS officials have repeatedly denied stockpiling ammunition, but AP reports claim that the agency plans to buy more than 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition over the next four or five years, and has already bought 360,000 rounds of hollow point bullets and 1.5 billion rounds in 2012.

DHS claims that it is buying ammo in bulk to save money, but experts have pointed out that hollow point bullets cost nearly twice as much as full metal jacket rounds. They also explode on impact for maximum damage, which has caused some Americans to wonder what purpose they would serve the DHS domestically. Purchasing 1.6 billion rounds of ammo would also give DH

waco1909 wrote:

My friend in DHS says we have no idea what is coming.He refurbishes used military equipment for DHS, he says this will become a national militia for DHS.They are buying everything in sight.

The Department of Homeland Security is under investigation for purchasing large stockpiles of ammunition, days before legislation was introduced that would restrict the amount a government agency can legally buy.The Government Accountability Office is now conducting the investigation into the alleged DHS purchases, which is “just getting underway,” GAO spokesman Chuck Young told US News & World Report.DHS officials have repeatedly demdemurelyurely stockpiling ammunition, but AP reports claim that the agency plans to buy more than 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition over the next four or five years, and has already bought 360,000 rounds of hollow point bullets and 1.5 billion rounds in 2012.DHS claims that it is buying ammo in bulk to save money, but experts have pointed out that hollow point bullets cost nearly twice as much as full metal jacket rounds. They also explode on impact for maximum damage, which has caused some Americans to wonder what purpose they would serve the DHS domestically. Purchasing 1.6 billion rounds of ammo would also give DH<quoted text>

waco1909 wrote:Triple S, I understand you're sexy.Who told you that? Or, are you just getting from my User Name?:) Look everybody, emlu the gas planet has lost her waco. Guess he's out looking for a new one. Just like everybody else.

Benghazi is taking off, and the IRS admits targeting conservative groups....this can't be good for the dems....

yep, also white house keeping tabs on ap reporters as well...same time this is going on across the pond, labor party admits " going out and actively searching for immigrants to come to their country to make jolly old england moar diverse"...gotta love those diversity worshipers...

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